1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a highback for gliding sports and, more particularly, to a highback with an adjustable shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
Specially configured boards for gliding along a terrain are known, such as snowboards, snow skis, water skis, wake boards, surf boards and the like. For purposes of this patent, "gliding board" will refer generally to any of the foregoing boards as well as to other board-type devices which allow a rider to traverse a surface. For ease of understanding, however, and without limiting the scope of the invention, the inventive highback to which this patent is addressed is disclosed below particularly in connection with a soft snowboard boot and binding that is used in conjunction with a snowboard. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention described below can be used in association with other types of gliding boards, as well as other types of boots, such as hybrid boots which combine various aspects of hard and soft boots.
Snowboard binding systems for soft snowboard boots typically include an upright member, called a "highback" (also known as a "lowback" and a "skyback"), that supports the rear lower portion of a rider's leg. The highback acts as a lever that helps transmit forces directly to and from the board, allowing the rider to efficiently control the board through leg movement. For example, flexing one's legs rearward against the highback places the board on its heel edge with a corresponding shift in weight and balance acting through the highback to complete a heelside turn.
Board control may be affected by the overall shape, including the height, of a highback. For example, as the height of the highback increases, its force transmission increases resulting in more responsive board control. Conversely, as the height of the highback decreases, its power transmission decreases resulting in less responsive board control. Additionally, as the contact surface area increases between the highback and leg, power transmission increases for more responsive riding.
The shape of the highback may also affect a rider's comfort level when riding by increasing or decreasing the amount of contact surface area between the highback and leg. In particular, a highback may create undesirable pressure points against a rider's leg, rather than apply a uniform pressure distribution across the boot and leg. For example, the upper portion of a highback may engage the calf muscle of a rider, thereby creating a gap between the highback and the lower portion of the rider's leg below the calf muscle. This situation concentrates much of the force between the highback and the rider's leg onto the calf muscle, a condition riders generally find uncomfortable.
While it is desirable for a highback to deliver optimal performance, Applicants recognize that variable factors, including boot shape, leg shape, rider ability and rider sensitivity, tend to preclude a specific highback from providing optimal performance for every rider by failing to provide one or more particular characteristics desired by some riders. Consequently, a rider may employ a highback having less preferable characteristics to gain other more desirable characteristics in its overall performance. For example, many riders, particularly experienced and aggressive riders, may choose to use a tall, closely contoured highback that may be responsive but less comfortable, while other riders may choose to use a shorter or less contoured highback that may be more comfortable but less responsive. Tall highbacks tend to contact the calf muscle of shorter riders, such as women, creating undesirable pressure points on the leg. Accordingly, riders may prefer a degree of adjustability in the highback shape for achieving a desirable balance between various highback characteristics, such as power transmission to the board and pressure distribution on the leg during heelside maneuvers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved highback having an adjustable shape for selective force transmission and riding comfort.